


Zone of Truth; Layer of Lies

by GreenFire66



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alcohol, Friends to Lovers, Kidnapping, M/M, Mild Language, NaNoWriMo, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Past Relationship(s), Undercover, i have no idea what I'm doing pls send help, spoilers about caleb's past
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-08-19 15:42:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16537451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenFire66/pseuds/GreenFire66
Summary: Fjord and Caleb are sent to infiltrate an upper-class party hosted by one of the Gentleman's contacts, but some of the attendees cause the event to take a turn for the worse in a way none of the Mighty Nein were prepared for.





	1. A Rude Introduction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all and welcome to this train wreck of a fanfic.  
> Warning: this is my NaNoWriMo challenge for 2018. So I won't be editing these chapters with a fine-toothed comb before posting them here, in the spirit of the event. If people like this story enough after the month has passed, I'll gladly go back and touch up some scenes. So I apologize if any of the scenes aren't of the highest quality, but I really wanted to try sharing my progress as I go.  
> That said, I'm a Grad Student. I know I'm likely not hitting 50k. But hey, if I can complete my first ever multi-chapter fanfic with marginal success, I'll take it.  
> Also, I have the rating as G and no Archive Warnings for now. Depending on the mood I am in during certain scenes, that may change. I'll update the ratings and warnings accordingly, and will definitely put a warning in the notes at the start of a chapter if that chapter's contents cause a change in warning.  
> Without further adieu, here's what you clicked this for in the first place:

Caleb was never one for parties.

Social interactions were one thing. Getting needed supplies for the next month of travelling with Beau or Caduceus? Easy. Helping Nott and Jester with their usual antics? A cinch. Catching Yasha up to speed on what she missed while listening to what little she would tell about her travels? Non-problematic. Walking up to a tavern keep with Fjord to try and gather info about the area? Straightforward.

But parties?

A shoulder pushed into his arm. As the individual in question passed by him, Caleb snapped back to his surroundings.

“You alright?” Fjord asked next to him, his presence in what would otherwise be a cluster of unknown faces and voices was a welcome relief.

“ _Ja,_ of course. Thank you.” Caleb nodded awkwardly, glancing around.

The host of the party was one Illyia La’Arachel, a wealthy noblewoman with numerous pillars of support in Zadash. Daughter of one of the most influential business owners across the Dwendalian Empire, Illyia is often regarded as the social head of the company due to her numerous social events and public appearances.

Importantly, she is also a contact of the Gentleman, which is the only reason Fjord and Caleb were here. Her continued increase in social influence has caused the Gentleman to grow weary, and to err on the side of caution, he tasked the Mighty Nein with sending in a small group to observe the attendees.

The group was able to… ‘convince’ a contact from their travels that owed them a favor to allow two of their group members to attend in his stead. With some debate over who should go, the group eventually reached a majority consensus of Fjord and Caleb. Jester was the next most heavily considered, but between being recognized and some members being worried about her occasional antics, Caleb was picked instead.

The party also agreed that any disguises had to be non-magical, so as not to draw suspicion if any of the guards or other attendees could detect or dispel the magic. That in and of itself almost made Caleb refuse the nomination, but one extended trip to the bathhouse and a shopping spree at a high-end tailor later, and Fjord and Caleb both were reluctantly ready for the event.

“So, ah, are you noticing anyone drawing your attention?”

Fjord turned to him with a raised eyebrow. Caleb coughed into his wrist.

“You know. Anyone you feel compelled to keep an eye on?”

“Oh.” Fjord adjusted the ruff on his sleeve, clearly not taking a liking to the fabric. “Not particularly, no.” Fjord looked back to Caleb after a quick visual sweep of the room. “You?”

“ _Ja_ , uh, same. Same.”

 ** _“How’s the fancy life treating you, Caleb? Have you found the buffet table yet?”_** Nott’s voice echoed in his mind.

**_“We just got here, Nott. But getting through the front door is as good a start as any.”_ **

The main foyer was extravagantly set up. Decorative vases and shelves lined the floors and walls, and Caleb was almost lost to the books lined up in one of the bookshelves in the corner. Guests walked in and out of rooms, and the sound of a piano could be heard coming from a room to their left.

“Oh, my!” A feminine voice exclaimed off to their right. “The doorkeepers informed me that the owners of the Chardignyt Vineyards were sending representatives, but they didn’t tell me how _handsome_ they were!” The woman’s deep blue gown accented by her numerous forms of jewelry as well as her almost grey-shaded irises. Caleb let her approach, and heard Fjord cough next to him, a nervous tic Caleb had noticed whenever women flirted with Fjord.

“Er, thank you, Lady Illyia. It’s an honor to have been sent by the Chardignyt family to meet you.” Fjord nodded, and kissed the hand that Illyia had extended towards them.

“And just who are you to the Chardignyts, if I may ask?”

“Close acquaintances,” Caleb replied.

“I see.” Illyia looked between the two of them. “Well, I do hope you find the event to your liking. Please let me or my servants know if there is anything that can be done to make your time more pleasurable.”    

“Thank you kindly, m’am.” She gave the two of them a wave as she departed, and Caleb looked back to Fjord and tried to pay no heed to the slight blush noticeable on Fjord’s face.

“So, now we… observe?” Caleb questioned, scanning the room once more. No one stood out amongst the gaudiness of the environment.

The Gentleman's instructions hadn't been too clear, since he himself had no proof to warrant his unease, loathe as he was to call it as such. The Gentleman had wanted them to look for any “suspicious individuals or behavior” but everyone here was suspicious to Caleb since he didn't know them.

“Should we split up to cover more ground, or…?”

Caleb could feel an anxiety spike at Fjord's question and quickly responded. “That's not a bad idea, but, uh. Let's get some semblance of introductions done to establish ourselves as a duo before we split up.”

“A fine idea.” Fjord nodded.

The hour that passed was littered with small talk that made Caleb desire to shove his eyes into any of the mediocre novellas that flooded the bookshelves. A business owner here, a high ranking Crownsguard official there, and Caleb and Fjord were no closer to figuring out the individuals they should be keeping an eye on, if any. At a table near a corner, but not so isolated as to draw suspicion, Caleb and Fjord talked in hushed voices, leaning into the center of the table.

“Do, uh, do you think he might want us to keep an eye on the Crownsguard lad? You know. Being with the law and all?”

“That’s as good a guess as any I’ve got.” Fjord ran a quick hand through his hair, the gel that held it firmly in place giving way. “But I’m not sure it would be wise to not continue to explore the rest of the guests.”

“ _Ja_ , you make a point.” Caleb took a sip of wine. Too expensive for his tastes. “I can keep an eye on the guard if you want to keep exploring. You seem more in your element here.”

“Funny, I was about to say the same thing.” Fjord grinned. “I’m just a simple sailor, parties like this aren’t exactly my cup of tea. You, however, are very much a man of mystery.”

“How so?”

“Well, I mean.” Fjord went to grab his glass, before realizing it was empty and setting it back down. “I never did end up asking ya. Would love to take you up on that offer of yours from a while back.”

“My… offer?”

“Of why your past is so checkered in flame.”

The conversation hit Caleb full force. In the streets of Zadash. Caleb had wanted to keep that glove out of anyone’s hands. The horror of his past actions drove him to make sure no one else bared that fate. He had traded Fjord the glove for the water-themed armor in the sewers, and Fjord had asked about his past.

He told Fjord he hadn’t trusted him then, but to give him time later.

But now?

“Perhaps now is not the best time.” Caleb stood up. “You know. Party environment.”

“Right, right. Of course. Sorry, I-”

“It is fine.” Caleb saw the crownsguard insignia out of the corner of his peripheral. “You keep an eye on the guard. I’ll make my rounds.”

“Alright.” Fjord nodded. “I’ll try and stay within the area. Meet here in about an hour?”

“ _Ja_ , sure thing.” He pat Fjord’s shoulder twice as he walked past. Once he re-entered the main foyer, Caleb was immediately met with the realization that there were too many rooms in the building. The sound of the piano coaxed him into the room to his left, and seeing no other real sense of direction, he approached.

Upon entering, he quickly took a seat with his back to the wall. Scanning around, no individual grabbed his attention. He tuned the environment out, trying to nonchalantly listen in on the conversations throughout the room.

“-room service in the Pillow Trove deserves all of the praise it gets. I highly-”

“Invulnerable Vagrant? Yes, yes, I know it. Isn’t that-?”

“-heard that the Evening Nip has been as empty as ever. How does it stay open?”

Caleb debated sending Frumpkin in a different room, but froze halfway through snapping his fingers.

“The representatives of the Soltryce Academy are much more polite this year than the last pair.”

Caleb reached for the wire in his jacket pocket, but panicked at the sound of footsteps behind him. The faintest scent of honey.

“I **_suggest_ ** you come with us, Caleb Widogast.”

And Caleb nodded. “Of course, Astrid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed Chapter 1! As I said, I've never really done multi-chapter fics before, so perhaps NaNoWriMo wasn't the best time to start, but we'll see what happens. Please feel free to leave comments, critiques, etc. Any support would honestly be the biggest source of encouragement throughout the month.


	2. Old Name; Same Face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all. First, the pacing of this story is a mess and I apologize. I truly don't know how long I want any given scene or segment to last, nor how many chapters this is going to be. As I mentioned, I'm just writing this when I can and not looking back, in the spirit of NaNoWriMo. I promised myself I'd try and finish a chapter fic, I never said it had to be good.
> 
> Also, because we're getting to this point;  
> Italics will be used for a character thinking,  
> "Italics with quotes" were things said in the past  
> And "Bold Italics Quote" is people communicating through the Message/Sending spell, as well as the names of spells in sentences, such as suggestion from last chapter. I'll go back and update last chapter appropriately, but as I was writing this one I realized it was too confusing to just italics everything, as unprofessional as this format may be.

Fjord nodded along with the conversation, tapping his finger absentmindedly against the glass in his hand. The Crownsguard he had been watching hadn't so much as moved more than five feet in what felt like an hour. He and someone Fjord assumed to be his wife were making conversation with two other individuals. The conversation seemed seemingly straightforward, and Fjord's attention was unfortunately split.

“-which doesn't make sense, honestly. I feel as though Alfred has long deserved the nomination of this host. The nerve! Don't you agree?”

“Huh?” Fjord turned his attention back to the woman who had “graced” him with her presence when she saw him sitting by his lonesome. The only reason Fjord hadn't left was because this was the spot he and Caleb were to meet back up. “Uh, yeah. Completely agree. Say, what's the time?”

“That's the second time you've asked.” She stopped to look down at the miniature pocket watch that hung on a chain around her wrist, flicking her bangs out of her face as she did so. “6:39. You sure you're not waiting for someone?”

_Thought so. It was around 5:30 when Caleb left, based on what she said the first time._ That didn't make sense to Fjord. How could Caleb be late? The man was a walking clock, as well as an encyclopedia. It fascinated Fjord just how much such a seemingly simple man could do.

“I guess you could say that.” Fjord surrendered with a shrug. It wasn't a secret that the Chardignyt vineyard sent two representatives, after all.

“Oooo, is it someone special?”

Fjord froze.

_“Fjord~,”_ the memory of Jester’s voice sang in his ear. “ _is there a special someone in your life?”_

That damn bottle. The magical anti-lie circle.

_“Yea-”_ He had quickly cut himself off, cursing himself for being distracted. He knew he could answer with silence, but his mouth opened to deny the claim before his brain could respond. The lie of “no” transformed in his mouth before he realized.

“N-no.” Back in the present, Fjord shook his head. “Just my fellow representative. We're supposed to be meeting some people in a bit, and I'm waiting for him to get here.”

**_“Fjord!”_** Nott. And she sounded panicked. **_“Where's Caleb?”_**

Fjord immediately began glancing around the room. **_“Not with me. We split up to cover more ground. Is something up?”_ **

There was a moment of silence, and Fjord stood up to survey the area better.

“Are you leaving?” The woman on the other side of the table huffed. He ignored her as Nott’s voice re-entered his head.

**_“Yes, something is definitely up! I can’t send a message to him!”_ **

**_“What?”_** Fjord wasn’t much of a mage, but there was no way Caleb just left Nott’s range. He knew where the rest of the Mighty Nein were situated, Caleb and Nott have communicated from much further distances.

**_“I, I don’t-”_** Fjord was already moving. **_“Oh gods. What if something happened? We need to, we need to-”_**

**_“Nott.”_** Fjord took a moment to still. He couldn’t look for Caleb and focus on the conversation. **_“I need you to tell everyone to start getting prepared. But don’t do anything yet. If I can find Caleb without you all arousing suspicion, that’d be best.”_**

Not waiting for Nott’s response, Fjord began searching the rooms. He tried to do so in a nonchalant way, but he could feel his panic rising with each room he exited. Without Caleb’s dirt-covered jacket, it wasn’t quite as easy to find him in a broad sweep of the room. But still, Fjord knew he simply wasn’t overlooking him.

_Seriously, Caleb. Where are you?_

 

Water.

His eyes shot open, and his guttural instinct was to cough hoarsely. The action was met with resistance, and Caleb realized he was tied around the waist to a surface. He was sitting on the dirt ground, his back against an uneven surface.

_A tree,_ he realized.

“Aw, but he looked so peaceful.” A voice above him mocked. A voice he recognized.

“Eodwulf…?” Caleb dared a glance up.

“See, Astrid? He didn’t forget us.” Caleb shivered at the blank expression as the man looked back to him. “He just turned traitor.”

“How? How did you-”

“Trent was at the arena match that you and your little friends attended from way back. Do you think he _didn’t_ recognize you and your magic?” Astrid smirked. “But, strangely. He couldn’t ever get the chance to talk to you alone. And this little accessory,” she bent down to trace a finger over the amulet that hung around his neck before wrapping her hand around it. “Made it all the more difficult to find you up until that point. But. Even though it stops use from scrying on you, that didn’t stop us from scrying on your little friends. What was the name? The _Mighty Nein_? Bold of you to make a name for yourself.”

“I-”

“And when we heard that you were going to be attending this lovely dinner party with only one of your companions? Well. We just **had** to get our names on the list.” Caleb had to look past Astrid to read Eodwulf’s shit-eating expression.

Caleb took a moment to collect himself. He had to figure out where he was. The off-color hue behind Eodwulf struck Caleb immediately, and he recognized it shortly thereafter.

Tiny hut. The spell Caleb used to protect from ambushes at night.

This was bad. Nott’s communicate spell wouldn’t be able to connect. He couldn’t contact anyone either.

“ _Ja,_ sure. You have me. Now what?” Caleb had to stall. He had to wait until he saw some kind of opening. He refused to allow himself to believe that the group would go looking for him once they realized he was missing.

_“This won’t happen again, you understand me?”_ Those were his words, weren’t they? What kind of a hypocrite was he now?

“Now?” Eodwulf parroted, then laughed. “Now: questions. Then once we’re satisfied, we’ll carry you back to Soltryce Academy.”

“And if I don’t feel like answering them?”

“Oh, you will.” Astrid nodded simply as she lowered herself to the ground. Her hand touched, and a faint light circled out from her hand.

_Scheiße._ Caleb recognized that spell. He could hear Jester’s _“it’s just a harmless game”_ as the spell completed before his eyes.

“And before you mention the fact that you can be silent, you’ll probably want to know something.” Caleb’s eyebrows raised as Eodwulf walked closer. “We know where your friends are hiding out. We have assassins ready to act on either of our commands.”

Caleb’s eyes widened. Of course they would. If they had been scrying on them, they would know.

They would use that against him.

“Now, are you ready to answer our questions?” Astrid asked next to him, almost in a whisper. Caleb remained silent.

“Are you ready to answer our questions, _Franz_?” the question was asked again, and the name at the end echoed in Caleb’s mind. His past. There was no getting out of this. There never was truly any chance of escape. Caleb sighed.

“ _Ja_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if y'all didn't like the format with the italics/bold, I can try and edit those to make it better. I recognize the bold may seem out of place given that the spell is mental communication, so if people want me to just make everything only italics I can adjust accordingly and do my best to make it more clear what form of communication or thought is being done.
> 
> Also, yes. I know there's no proof that Caleb isn't his real name but I love the fan-theory that Caleb isn't his real name and that's why he's so okay throwing it around in situations where the rest of the M9 is coming up with fake names. There's honestly no real reason behind me choosing Franz, it's just a name I pseudo-enjoy that felt "Zemnian-enough" and seemed like a semi-common name to fit Caleb's backstory.
> 
> Again, any and all support/feedback is greatly appreciated, and thank you to everyone for all the support, comments, bookmarks, kudos, even just views mean the world to me. I realize this chapter took a while despite it's short length, and I'm sorry. But know that Chapter 3 is already in progress and once Thanksgiving Break begins I should have some more time to sit down and hash this out.


	3. Dodgy Words and Dodging Blows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I tried to get this chapter up before the holidays, but I realized that I didn't want to end the chapter where I planned, which required waiting until after the holidays to wrap up this chapter and post it. I know both my writing pace and the amount of content per chapter is kinda lackluster, and I apologize. Grad school is giving me more trouble than I realized it would this month. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be able to finish this work by the end of the November, but I will finish it, mark my words.  
> [I already have an idea for another multi-chapter story that won't be burdened by the hectic lack of a pace that NaNoWriMo brings with it, but I won't work on that until this fic is done, promise.]  
> EDIT: Oops. Forgot I still had this as G, changed it to T, as I forsee things escalating to that point in the near future.

“-and once Frumpkin got the wire, Nott was able to pick the lock. I created a distraction, and we ran.” Caleb heard his voice comply. Question after question, Astrid and Eodwulf dissected his story. Caleb’s brain pounded in his skull, every question they asked was met with an internal instinct to conceal. But he had to answer. The group. Nott.

So it turned into a game of wording. He didn’t have to tell the truth. He just couldn’t lie.

“But why did you escape the asylum?” Astrid spoke up without a moment’s pause. “You should never have been in that prison in the first place. You should’ve stayed in the asylum until you recovered.”

“Because I did recover.” Finally. Finally he could tell them the truth. “A cleric healed me. Wiped away Ikithon’s mental influence over me. Restored the lies he embedded in-”

“Falsehood.” Eodwulf walked towards him. “Ikithon has done no such…” His eyes widened and his pace slowed. Eodwulf looked to the circle around him, then back to Astrid. Caleb allowed himself a smile.

“No, it’s fine.” She put a hand to her chin, thinking. “He’s become so disillusioned from not being in proper care that his mind has conjured this story. He believes it so intimately that, to him, it’s the truth.”

Caleb grit his teeth. What she said would’ve been plausible, from an outside perspective. He knew his statement as truth, but any truth he could give to the situation could be viewed by them as self-induced insanity.

“So, you believe Ikithon over me.” He opted to reply instead.

“Ikithon didn’t abandon us! Ikithon didn’t run away because he got scared!” Eodwulf snapped back as he crouched to his knees to grab a fistful of Caleb’s collar and pull him closer. “Astrid and Ikithon stayed with me! You. Didn’t.”

Caleb stilled. It had been a while since he was this close to the man. He could still make out the badly trimmed beard stubble: a trait he once found endearing, so many years ago.

“ _Ja._ And I haven’t regretted that decision for a moment.” The words rang out. The truth.

Eodwulf shoved Caleb away, and the back of his head collided against the tree. Caleb yelped in shock.

“Enough. Your emotions are getting us nowhere, Eodwulf.” Caleb could see Astrid release a breath. “Your companions. Start talking about them. We’ll figure out which one of them has the magical capabilities to influence you.”

“None of them are Wizards like us.” Caleb replied simply.

“Cute trick. There’s other means of casting magic.” Astrid folded her arms. “Clerics, Sorcerers, Bards. Start talking. Who in your group has the ability to employ any means of magic? Tell me everyone.”

Caleb lowered his head. The question was too direct. There was no way to not place targets over their heads. All he could was try to describe them in ways that didn’t give them away.

“The one from Nicodranas. The tea drinker. The one who has no desire to return from where they came.” He stilled. “And the mysterious one.”

“Their names. ‘Widogast’.” Eodwulf spat. “What are their names?”

 _Scheiße._ “Caduceus. Jester. Fjord. … And Nott.”

He saw Astrid taking notes.

The spell only last but so long. Ten minutes, he reminded himself. He’d already seen them recast it a couple of times to extend the effect. They couldn’t have had much longer.

“Your Half-Orc companion. The one at the party. That is Fjord, correct?”

Caleb knew there was no way to get around the answer to the question other than just not answering. “ _Ja._ ”

“Perhaps he is the one messing with your mental state.”

 _Fjord._ Caleb felt a twinge of panic.

“I-I regained my memory long before I met him.” Caleb hastily supplied.

“And what is he to you?”

Caleb stilled. Even he didn’t know the answer to that question.

_“That was really impressive.”_

_“I am glad you think so highly of me.”_

_“These days I’ve spent with you have been the most exciting of my life.”_

_“Fjord is still here. Let’s… focus on the good things in our lives.”_

_“Let's make it work.”_

“A companion.”

“You never were a good liar.” Eodwulf leaned in, arms crossed.

“ _Ja._ And you were never the best interrogator.”

 

Fjord was about ready to tear this mansion down if it got him any closer to Caleb. Every door rechecked, every face that wasn’t the one he was looking for increased the dread that crashed over him.

He had searched the house thoroughly. Fjord was almost certain Caleb wasn’t there. Or, at least, Caleb wasn’t inside the building.

Fjord wished he had his own method of contacting the group. He had to wait for Nott to message him. Fjord left the building, feigning an excuse about wanting a quick walk to the inquisitive attendant by the front door. Once he was outside, he took a couple of steps away from the building and examined the layout.

The building seemed inconspicuous enough. He tried his best to place each room on the inside with the structure of the building from the outside. No questionable spots that could hide a hidden room. Fjord hadn’t been allowed upstairs, but had been assured that none of the guests ventured there either.

Unless they were lying? Was the entire party a trap? Did Caleb have some connection with the La’Arachel family?

But that didn’t make sense. Caleb wasn’t originally part of the guest list. How could this have been a trap when they didn’t know Caleb was going to be there?

Unless they did.

 **_“Fjord!”_ ** Nott’s voice pierced his mind, and his mental tirade was cut off completely by the panic. **_“Caduceus spotted these hooded figures hiding out a distance away from us, and we’re being ambushed!”_ **

Fjord couldn’t find it in him to respond immediately. But once the words sank he pivoted on his heel. **_“Hold on. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Are you guys still-”_ **

**_“Forget about us!”_** Fjord froze. **_“Find Caleb!”_ **

_Caleb._ The party being attacked, combined with Caleb missing? Something was up.

He whipped his head back to the mansion. He surveyed everything again. Something was going on behind the scenes. If this elaborate of a plan was set up, there were only two explanations in Fjord’s mind.

Either the Gentleman sold them out, which seemed unlikely for several reasons, or there was some form of magic involved.

Fjord walked around the side of the building, peering into the occasional window nonchalantly. Everything seemed as it was when he left. At the back of the mansion, an elaborate stone garden greeted him. He walked the trail, taking in the area. Two fountains approached on either side, the stream of water poured constantly from the porcelain statue’s frame.

Beyond, a garden maze was noticeable to his right, and a small cluster of trees, bench included, was in a more secluded part of the garden to the left.

No one was there. He remained still, listening for any signs of people, but the only noise he heard was what muffled sounds carried out from inside the mansion. He was ready to turn around, when one final sweep caused his attention to spike.

In the trees, there was a small section further inward that was somewhat obscured, but Fjord swore he could make out a… something. A dome of earthly brown?

“Wait…” Fjord recognized the spell. That was like the dome Caleb cast.

He took a step, but the sound of a stone skittering behind him brought his attention behind him.

His peripheral barely registered the dagger before he felt it pierce his back.

 

“Well. This is about as much information as we need to get out of you here.” Astrid stretched her arms, smiling in satisfaction. “We’re just going to knock you unconscious now. Eodwulf, send the word to our man that our job is done and to take care of the pests.”

Caleb’s eyes widened. Somewhere in him though, he knew he shouldn’t have been surprised. “Why bother?” He knew the plea was worthless, but he had to make the attempt. “Just take me and go. Taking them out is…” He stilled at their expressions.

“Just part of the job.” Astrid filled in the silence. She nodded to Eodwulf, who stepped outside the bubble to send the message.

Caleb closed his eyes, his mind racing through every spell, every trick in the books tucked underneath his coat. What could he do? Say? Cast?

“They’ve already engaged.” Eodwulf relayed as he entered the hut. His voice was still, but Caleb could see the traces of annoyance on his face. “Apparently they were spotted and made the call to react while they still had some semblance of a jump.”

“No matter.” Astrid shrugged. “They’ll be dealt with. We did our part, let’s-” Caleb raised a weary eyebrow at Astrid’s pause. His eyes moved to trace her vision and Caleb stiffened at what he saw.

“Fjord.” Caleb watched him wander the outer garden. Pleaded for him to turn back, to lose interest.

Next to him, Eodwulf went invisible and drew a dagger.

Caleb’s eyes widened in panic. Both he and Fjord were at a disadvantage, and Fjord didn’t even know.

Caleb could only watch helplessly as Fjord’s eyes narrowed in on the dome that surrounded him. Eodwulf approached Fjord as Fjord hesitantly approached the dome. Next to Caleb, Astrid readied a spell.

Caleb shut his eyes and involuntarily flinched away as he heard Fjord’s roar of pain. Forcing himself to focus, Caleb watched as the blade materialized, mid-swing, in Fjord’s hand. Eodwulf hadn’t expected that, if the ungraceful last second dodge was anything to go off of.

The two traded mostly unsuccessful blows, neither willing to give the other the opportunity to retreat for a spell cast. Fjord had the advantage, but Caleb noticed the times that he would have normally hit mostly negated by a prompt shield spell from Astrid, whom Fjord didn’t even know was here, Caleb realized.

If Caleb could just **help**.

With only one of them over him, Caleb realized he had to take the chance. He couldn’t do anything about the rope.

Frumpkin, however…

“Fjord! Fjord!” He shouted, the snap of his fingers covered by the shrill of his voice.

“You really have become this pitiful.” Astrid shook her head, taking her eyes off the fight as she approached. She crouched down to him, sliding a finger under his chin, roughly against the stubble. “You know he can’t hear you. Just hush and enjoy the show.”

Caleb grit his teeth. His thoughts raced to his feline companion, clawing at the rope on the other side of the tree. The urge to go into Frumpkin’s vision taunted him. He could feel the rope slack against him.

 _Scheiße._ At this rate, Astrid would easily notice the rope weakening before he could break out.

“Astrid…” He had to get her eyes to meet his. Or really, anywhere other than the rope. “You don’t have to do this.”

“But I do. Trent ordered us.” She smiled. “And unlike _some_ , we care about our allegiance.”

“ _Ja._ ” Caleb’s vision focused on Fjord, locked in combat. Watched the seemingly arcane yet otherworldly energy encompass his form. The realization that Fjord’s life was in peril because of him hit Caleb full force.

_“We’ll make it work.”_

“So do I.”

Caleb surged onto his feet as he felt the rope lose it's restraint against him, quickly dismissing Frumpkin in one action as his hands flew through the somatic part of his incant.

“No!” Astrid went to push him, disrupt his incant, but Caleb had already finished.

Caleb felt the electricity leave his body, the arcing thunder barely contained by the dome as Astrid was blown away from him. As soon as her body left the radius of the dome, the brown cage shimmered out of existence.

The fighting near him immediately stopped at the sound of Astrid impacting the ground with a shout.

“Caleb!”

“Bastard!” Eodwulf glanced between the two of them, glaring daggers the entire time. Next to him, Caleb could hear Astrid standing up. Eodwulf reached into his pouch and drew a object he pinched between two fingers.

Caleb watched as he ran to approach as Fjord turned his attention back to Eodwulf. Realizing that Eodwulf was incanting, Fjord swiped at him. Caleb watched Eodwulf begin a rolling maneuver, and was met with thin air. His eyes darted around as he approached Fjord’s side.

“Fjord! Was it an eyelash?”

Fjord, bless him, blinked confusedly as he stopped his panicked visual sweep to turn to Caleb with a raised eyebrow as his only response. “The object in his hand.” Caleb explained.

“Oh! Y-yeah? I think? It looked encased in something.”

“Thought so. He’s invisible. Probably going to Astrid, keep your guard up.” Caleb could see Fjord try to piece together the bits of the puzzle he was missing, and nodded. “Eodwulf mainly focuses on Illusion and Enchantment magic, while Astrid is split amongst Abjuration, Conjuration, and Divination.”

“Do we kill them?” Fjord asked, eldritch energy coalescing onto the hilt of his blade. “Or are we just gettin’ out of dodge?”

Caleb appreciated Fjord’s willingness to default to him on this one, and tucked his thanks away for later. However, Caleb hesitated in his answer, but watched as Astrid began incanting a spell, her gaze fixed on Fjord.

“ _Nein!”_ Caleb shouted, his hand instinctively in front of Fjord as he recited the incant. **_“Counterspell!”_ **

At his words, Fjord realized that the fight was continuing on both sides, and sent the two blasts of eldritch energy forward. One struck Astrid’s shoulder and she recoiled before glaring at them.

Next to him, Caleb heard the sound of a footstep hitting the stone path, and barely side-stepped the dagger that flashed into reality, it’s owner drawing the blade as he flicked his attention between both of them.

“You okay taking the front line this fight, big guy?” Caleb asked, taking a small step back and turning to keep both Astrid and Eodwulf in his peripheral.

“I’ll be fine if you’ve got my back.” Fjord responded, turning the sword in his hand as he stepped in front of Caleb.

Caleb flushed slightly, but grinned as he felt the familiar sensation of the magical energies crackle around the diamond in this hand. “ _Ja_ , always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact; this chapter was going to end at Fjord's narrative when he got stabbed by Eodwulf, but then my conscience took over, and I figured another cliffhanger of that kind of level would end in a riot, so I kept the chapter going.  
> As always, thank you so much to those that have left kudos, comments, bookmarks, or even just took the time to keep reading this story. I know this isn't my best work, looking over the past chapter, but I'm gonna do my best to try and balance quality and quantity while trying to get this work back on track schedule-wise.


	4. Revelations and Realizations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember how I said I probably wasn't going to finish this before the end of November? Whoops.

Caleb’s breath hitched as his hand flared, the glove illuminating as the sparks of fire left his hand. Astrid raised her arm upward, projecting the all too familiar shield that blocked two of the blasts. The third fireball grazed her arm as it passed in a blur, dissipating as it struck a tree.

Caleb turned just in time to watch Fjord land a wide gash across Eodwulf’s chest, the man staggering backward as he gasped in pain. Fjord went for a downward swing, which was barely blocked by the guard of Eodwulf’s dagger before Eodwulf disengaged from the fight.

Astrid couldn’t have that much more magical capabilities left, between the higher level spells she had cast just to get Caleb where they had him and the spells she threw at Caleb and Fjord in her best attempts to hinder them throughout the fight.

Caleb felt that he and Fjord were beginning to swing the fight in their favor if they kept this up.

As he turned to her, he watched as she pulled a vial out of her sleeve. She popped the cork, poured what looked to be a powder onto her hand, and blew what Caleb realized too late to be dust and sand forward in his direction.

Suddenly, Caleb’s vision was utterly obscured by a roaring storm of stinging sand. The particles battered at the exposed flesh on his face. He coughed, suddenly choking on sand and dust. Caleb reached to pull his scarf over his mouth, only to remember that his current outfit didn’t come with such conveniences.

“-aleb!” The sounds from beyond the dust devil were eaten by the raging winds caused by the spell. “Ca-!”

His body ached, a pitiful groan escaped his lips. His throat felt dry, and he could feel the lack of oxygen. He placed a palm over his eyes, forcing them to crack open to allow himself the tiniest form of vision.

It didn’t help. All around him was an endless swirl of beige, gray, and yellow.

He took a couple of steps forward, barely able to recall which way forward was. A gale of dust and sand blew at his side, causing him to stumble and collapse on the ground. He curled in on himself.

 _The spell only lasts a minute, the spell only lasts a minute._ Caleb took a second to still his breath and close his eyes, he knew how long he hand been in here.

_Neunzehn… zwanzig… einundzwanzig…_

A shriek pierced Caleb’s ears, and the raging storm dissipated around him. The sound of footsteps rushed to his side, and Caleb turned to see Fjord run to his side.

Caleb’s attention, however, was focused on Astrid. Her skin was enveloped by a sickly energy, her flesh drying as Caleb watched the moisture tear from her and pool into puddles on the ground around her. She looked up, opening her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She collapsed to the ground, reaching an arm towards Caleb weakly before losing consciousness.

Silence swept through the air.

“You!”

Caleb snapped out of his stupor and struggled to his feet to turn to Eodwulf. Eodwulf’s grip tightened on the dagger, his knuckles turning bone white. “I’ll…! I’ll-”

“Eodwulf.” Caleb sternly glanced to Astrid’s unconscious form, then back to Eodwulf. “Stop this fight. Take Astrid, get out of here. You can take her somewhere to heal if you go fast enough.”

Both Fjord and Eodwulf turned to him. Caleb held his stare. “Make a move towards either of us, and neither you nor here will leave here alive,  _schatz_.” Caleb spit the endearment.

“Damn you, Franz.” Eodwulf jerked his head away as he walked to Astrid, scooping her in his arms. “Ikithon will come for you, you know. You’re not safe from him.”

“ _Ja. Und sie?_ Will you continue to help in that endeavor?”

Eodwulf looked forward as he past, the softest shake of his head. “The Franz I knew is dead. You are not that man, nor will you ever be. Do whatever with your life, Caleb.”

Eodwulf tapped a ring on his finger, and he and Astrid phased out of existence.

 _Dimension Door._ Caleb’s brain supplied as he kept his focus on the now empty air. Waiting. Anticipating.

Eventually, Caleb allowed himself to release a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

“Caleb.” Fjord, next to him, walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You alright?”

_Fjord._

“Am I alright?” Caleb’s head spun to Fjord, his eyes immediately taking in the crimson running down Fjord’s back and side. “I am not the one with a stab wound currently bleeding out.”

“Wounds, actually…” Fjord’s face flushed under Caleb’s widened eyes. “R-regardless. I. I thought… I was...” Fjord shook his head. “Nevermind. Let’s just worry about getting ourselves out of here.”

“ _Ja._ ” Caleb went to take a step, then froze.

“Nott!”

His hands rushed for his pocket, pulling out a wire.

**_“Nott, are you okay? If you get this, please respond to this message.”_ **

There wasn’t even a moment for Caleb to worry before he heard in his head, **_“Caleb? I’m fine! We’re fine! Are you okay?”_ **

Caleb breathed a sigh of relief. **_“Ja. I’m fine. Fjord’s injured, but should be okay. Heading back to the Leaky Tap.”_** Turning to Fjord, Caleb nodded.

“Come on, big guy. Let’s get you back and cleaned up. We can talk more there.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

 

Fjord’s formal clothes weren’t salvageable by physical means. Caleb had set them off to the side until the rest of the group got back to ask Jester to try magically mending them. Currently, Caleb sat on the edge of his bed with his arms folded in front of himself.

Was Eodwulf able to get Astrid to a healer in time? Did Caleb want Astrid to be able to be healed? There were enemies now, weren’t they? Why had he let them go?

His hands clamped around his forehead, the pressure doing nothing to alleviate the pounding headache.

Two knocks on the door, soft, cascaded through the room from the outside.

Caleb lifted his head and moved his hands to his lap. “ _J_ _a_.”

Fjord opened the door, poking his head in to look at him. “Hey.” Fjord flashed a small smile, his hair flat and notably wet from the wash. “Mind if I come in?”

“Not at all, friend.” Fjord shut the door behind him as he entered. As Fjord approached, he glanced at the two beds before sitting down at the bed across from Caleb.

Silence filled the space between them. The distance was something that Caleb wanted to both break and add to.

Look at what being close to Astrid and Eodwulf got him, after all.

But… this was Fjord. Fjord was-

“Listen, you… you don’t have to tell me anything, okay?” Fjord leaned forward slightly, and a small grunt left his mouth as his hand moved to his side. Caleb could see the wrapping that kept the wounds from bleeding. Fjord’s eyes were trained on Caleb. “Honestly? I’m just fuckin’ happy that you’re back, and you’re safe.”

Suddenly, that one particular speck of dirt on the ground seemed to do a great job at capturing Caleb’s attention.

“Oh. Um, thanks.” Caleb forced his eyes closed as he let out a breath. “But. It’s okay. You risked your life fighting people you didn’t even know, you deserve to know.”

“I don’t know a lot of the people we kill, Caleb.” Fjord replied simply, solemnly, but shook his head. “You don’t have to force yourself.”

“No, it’s fine. I promised to tell you about my past anyways, didn’t I?” Caleb glanced up at Fjord. “I was once a student at Soltryce Academy…”

And so Caleb told the story in much the same way he had talked to Beau and Nott, but less forced. He took pauses, stumbled when he talked about Astrid and Eodwulf, and sat in the silence that followed his explaining of the murder of his parents and the subsequent years spent in the asylum.

Caleb had been so caught up in not gauging Fjord’s reactions, fearing the rejection, the fear, that he had no way to predict the dip in the bed as Fjord sat next to him, an arm’s reach away. Caleb flicked his eyes towards him to gauge his expression.

Caleb, for the life of him, couldn’t make out the blend of emotions that toiled over Fjord.

“Caleb…” Fjord shook his head. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“I…”

“You said it yourself. ‘You can’t blame yourself when you’re taken advantage of’, right? Those were your words.” Fjord went to place a hand over Caleb’s shoulder, light, ghosting over him rather than applying any real pressure, so Caleb could pull away if he wanted.

“But it’s different.” Caleb replied instead. “I am me. You are you.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?”

“I’m not a good person, Fjord.” Caleb ran a shaky hand through his hair. “You haven’t-”

“I’ve seen enough about you to know how bullshit that is.” Fjord interjected. Caleb turned to him and was met with a hard stare, yet one that felt warm to the gaze. “I’ve seen how kind you are. I’ve seen how selfless you can be. To a fault, honestly.” Caleb felt Fjord’s hand on his arm, and it was at that moment that Caleb realized how tightly he had a chunk of his hair balled in a fist, the tension suddenly painful as he let up his grip. Fjord moved his hand off, and Caleb tried not to acknowledge how cold his arm suddenly felt. “Caleb… when we realized we had no idea where the fuck you were, and you weren’t answering Nott, I… I panicked.” Fjord’s head shook, and his eyes closed as he steadied himself. “Caleb. I thought we lost ya’. I had horror flashes to the slavers again. Imagining you in a situation similar to the hell that I was in. Being torn from you again… Caleb. I can’t lose you like that.”

“ _Ja_ , I know how important the group is to you, Fjord.”

“No, Caleb, I-” Fjord faltered, chuckling slightly. “Yes, everyone has grown on me… but. I was referring to you specifically, Caleb.” Fjord scratched the back of his head, not able to look at Caleb. “Obviously I don’t want anything bad to happen to anyone in the group. But you? When I realized you were in danger? And I had no idea where the fuck you were?”

“Fjord.” Caleb's eyes traced Fjord’s figure, took in the tension that rifled him. The shaky hand, the bouncing leg. “What are you trying to say?”

“I care about you, Caleb.” Fjord sighed. “A lot. I can’t stand the thought of something happening and you leaving my side.”

Moments passed. “Caleb?” Fjord asked.

Caleb’s hands met in his lap, and his vision cast downwards.

“The bottle.” Caleb choked out. “When Jester asked you if you had a crush on someone…”

Fjord’s face reddened, and a groan escaped his lips as a hand hit his forehead. “I’m not a big fan of that game, just so ya’ know.” Fjord smiled, regardless. “But. Yes. I was referring to you.”

Caleb coughed. “I… I had imagined you meant her.”

“Naw. Jester and I have fun jokingly flirting back and forth, but there’s nothing to it.” Fjord shook his head. “I don’t know, I… I just feel a connection with you that I haven’t felt in a long time with anyone.”

“I feel similarly, Fjord.” Caleb moved ever so slightly closer as he turned to more directly face the Half-Orc. “But I…”

“I know you have a lot going on up there.” Fjord gave Caleb a gentle poke on his forehead, and returned the smile that Caleb gave him. “I don’t want it to feel like I’m trying to push you into anything. I just… with everything that happened today, I couldn’t handle the regret of not telling you how I feel now that I have the chance.”

There was a pause. Uncertainty flashed in Caleb's eyes before he leaned forward, his head resting on Fjord’s shoulder. Fjord moved a hand to rest on Caleb’s arm.

There was more to discuss, they both knew that. Issues to work out. But for now, in this moment?

They were here, and they had each other. And that was the only truth either of them needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yes. This is the end of this fic. I kept debating how I wanted to stretch out the content, but everything I tried I wasn't satisfied with. So, I let the story come to this resolution. I thought this work was gonna be longer, but I guess the whims of my writing decided otherwise.  
> Regardless, I really hope you all enjoyed this. I had a lot of fun writing this, and your support meant, and will continue to mean, the world to me. I know I wouldn't have had the courage to keep this going if it wasn't for everyone's support.  
> In other news, I have another fic (featuring the best bois) that I KNOW will be longer than this one in the works. I've been spending time hashing that one out, since it won't be restricted by NaNo's 30 days. That one has careful, dedicated planning, and I might actually even edit the chapters before I post them. So keep your eyes posted for that if you're interested and again, thank you all for the views and support.


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